Octavia groaned, her back legs burning from holding her up in such an awkward position for what felt like hours. Grumbling, she dropped to the ground, catching the cello's neck in the crook of her shoulder. Gently, she lay the instrument down on the floor, and slid the bow into its sheath, before dropping down to the floor herself with an exhausted sigh.

Around her room, sheet music lay in disarray, thrown about in her frenzied last practice session. Her case lay thrown open against a wall, spare strings hanging out of it dejectedly. Candlelight flickered over the walls, creating large dancing shadows. Despite the chaos, something about it seemed peaceful to her. After all, where better to be than surrounded by music?

Her eyes drifted over to her cello. She pulled herself up off the ground slightly, and reached over to idly pluck at one of the strings, its deep, sonorous tones ringing through the room. There was no tune, no rhythm, just a steady thrum, vibrating through her hoof and in her ears.

She stifled a yawn and turned her gaze towards the window. Her eyes widened as she saw not the sun outside her window, but the moon and the twinkling stars.

"But... How? She murmured, her eyes locked on her small window. "I can't honestly have been practicing for this long."

While she was focusing on the night sky, Octavia's hoof hissed her mark, and she struck two of her strings. The two tones rang out deeply, meshing together in harmony. The sudden change in tone jolted Octavia out of her stupor. Shaking her head, she stood up, and walked over to her case. She carefully picked it up and deposited it on the ground beside her cello.

Gently, she slid the cello into her case. It fell into place quickly, fitting safely into its padded surroundings. She tucked her bow into its side pocket, and the spare strings into their own compartment. Equally carefully, she took hold of the lid and swung it closed, shutting the clasps with a loud clack.

"Well then," she muttered, her voice laced with a quiet calm. "I guess this is as ready as I'm going to be. In a few hours, I'm going to put myself out there, and I'm going to give it my all." Her lips curled up I a smile, and she let out a small chuckle. "What was it father would always say when we played cards as a Filly? 'All in'? I guess that's what I'm doing."

With another small laugh, Octavia walked over and blew out her candle, extinguishing her light, ready for the next day.